Philip Roth seems to want to enrich our sense of the present by increasing our knowledge of the past—the pagan Greek roots of western civilization, the rigorous intelligence too: we must accept complexity, contradiction, multiplicity, plenitude.
Category: Literary Fiction Reviews
A review of The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan
There’s a linguistic richness throughout the book that is both intensely detailed, and full of the daily life of this Welsh village with all of its idiosyncrasies. Gwenni’s mind is fast thinking and she doesn’t miss much, but she also sees beyond the surface of things. The reader is always shown, rather than told, what Gwenni feels, as she submerges her emotions into the faces in the peeling distemper on the walls, or the Toby Jugs on the shelves.
A review of The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan
There’s a linguistic richness throughout the book that is both intensely detailed, and full of the daily life of this Welsh village with all of its idiosyncrasies. Gwenni’s mind is fast thinking and she doesn’t miss much, but she also sees beyond the surface of things. The reader is always shown, rather than told, what Gwenni feels, as she submerges her emotions into the faces in the peeling distemper on the walls, or the Toby Jugs on the shelves.
A review of A Journey, A Reckoning and A Miracle by K.J. Fraser
Fraser creates a very human dismantling of prejudices of all kinds, and it is an inherent humanism that drives these other storylines and takes the reader on a journey through many places in and many aspects of a broadly depicted America. It almost makes up for the Condi and Bush stick figure characters, the too often repeated Dick Cheney jokes, and the visiting icons that include the Burning Bush, Jesus, and happy nodding sunflowers.
A review of Sold by Brendan Gullifer
Though the villains are suitably bad and the good guys reasonably decent, there are some lovely twists along the way that throw the whole notion of truth into chaos and leave the reader, like Will, questioning every motive. Sold is a sparkling debut novel that combines ironic, sardonic humour with a hefty dose of eye-opening reality. Buying (or selling) a house will never seem the same again.
A review of Strangers and Pilgrims: Tales by Walter de la Mare
Strangers and Pilgrims is a rewarding selection of tales, not a few of which are masterpieces, by an unduly neglected writer whose work will never be out of date. I envy readers who are coming to Walter de la Mare’s writing for the first time.
A review of Will You Love Me Tomorrow by Danny Gillan
Will You Love Me Tomorrow is an easy, fast paced read, full of funny twists and pithy insights. There’s a musical spring to Gillan’s style that belies the seriousness of his topics, covering a broad range of topics including the impact of depression and death on friendship, love, how we move on past tragedy, the music industry, art versus public relations, and family jealousy.
A review of Breath by Tim Winton
Nearly every line in this novel is taut, and wrought with tender nerve-ending sensation that it’s impossible not to feel along with the characters. The power of the novel isn’t only in the stormy waves that Pikelet risks his life on. It’s in the quiet musings that take place between the Didgeridoo and the Ambulance rides later: the fear, greater than any wave, that life is just an inhalation and exhalation of breath and nothing more.
A review of The Black Garden by Joe Bright
The novel grabs readers’ attention with George’s daughter Carolyn’s tragic suicide in the opening chapter and the storyline is just interesting enough to hold your attention to put the pieces of the town (and family)’s secret together.
A review of The Dreamer by Will Eisner
Despite disappointments and knockbacks, Billy follows his bliss and, eventually, finds a way to eke out a living and make good money by writing and drawing comics. For this ain’t just any old dream, people, it’s the American Dream.